Tabula Rasa
by Stiehl
Summary: Harry's future didn't turn out so well. His sanity is questionable, and now that Voldemort is dead, what can he and Ginny do? Wipe the slate clean, of course. Time travel, rated T for violence and suggestive language in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1 The Fallen One

Tabula Rasa

_Chapter 1: The Fallen One_

Ginny slowly trudged her way onto the battlefield. Around her lay many corpses, the bodies of those Death Eaters still foolish enough to stand with the Dark Lord. They bore a variety of wounds, as many of them sporting conventional injuries as spell damage. There, on her left, was a man whose ribcage was laid open by a Reductor Curse, and several feet past him was a huge blond man whose neck had been violently twisted to the right. Dozens of bodies littered the area, some not damaged much at all, others barely recognizable, but all dead. The whole place was a gruesome sight. She glanced around.

_It's amazing that once upon a time a scene like this would have made me hurl just at the sight of it. Now I barely blink._

She finally reached her destination, a spot on the far side of the bloodbath from which smoke rose in a great plume of black.

There he was. Standing amongst the flames, with a crater beneath his feet was the gaunt and haunted figure of Harry Potter, The Chosen One, as he used to be known. Nowadays, of course, he was known by another name, one far more appropriate to his new temperament. Nowadays, they just called him…The Fallen One.

Ginny drew closer, looking to a twisted mass of red and black on the ground. It was barely recognizable as having once been human…well, close enough, anyway.

_It's over, _she realized. _He did it. He killed him. _Sadness filled her eyes. _But at what cost._

She raised her wand, waving it and creating a path to Harry through the flames. Quickly closing the distance, she hugged him tightly to break the trance that had him currently staring blankly at the flames around him. Technically she needed only to touch him for it to break, but it was finally over, and she wanted to feel him against her, no matter that he was covered with the blood of his enemies.

The trance broke. Harry fell to his knees, dragging Ginny with him. He gasped for air. His formerly empty eyes now filled with exhaustion and pain.

"Ginny," he choked out around his gasps. "It's over. It's finally over." With that, he broke down into sobs.

"Yes, Harry, shhh," said Ginny. "Save what strength you have left. Tell me how he died tomorrow, after you've had a good long rest. Merlin knows you've earned it."

With that, she clutched him to her even more tightly, and twisted herself as best she could to pull them both into the black compression of Apparition. The final battlefield was left as it was. The dead deserved not burial. After all, there were no fallen friends. They had died long ago.

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Harry woke. Where was Ginny, he wondered. She knew better than to leave him alone these days.

As soon as he had that thought, she came back into the room from the adjoining bathroom, her face pink from scrubbing, and wearing what looked like a nightgown.

"Harry! You're awake," she said. "I just wanted to wash my face."

He nodded, and she lay down in the bed next to him. "What's with the nightgown?" he asked, his voice soft.

She raised an eyebrow. "Well, I figured since it wasn't likely that we would have to get up in an instant anymore, I'd try wearing actual nightclothes for once. It's been years since I even bothered."

It was then that he noticed where they were. It appeared to be one of the bedrooms in Sirius' old house, Grimmauld Place.

"This place is still standing?" He said. "Of all the houses to be left intact, this had to be the one. The Burrow's gone, and most of the Wizarding houses are rubble."

"I was surprised too. I brought us here on a whim, looking for a place to stay the night that wouldn't result in us lying on the ground, in the cold."

"I don't care if I'd had to sleep on a bed of nails. That damn monster is finally gone, after all these years," said Harry, his eyes going cold.

"About that," said Ginny, her eyes questioning. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"Every detail. Not that there was much besides blood and death. After you and I got separated, what else could you expect?"

Ginny grimaced. "True," she said darkly. Her eyebrows drew together. "Look, it's not your fault that we walked into that ambush. It all worked out for the best, didn't it?"

"Yeah, I suppose so," Harry said reluctantly. "It's ironic, though. Albus always thought it would be the power of love that defeated Voldemort. Sure didn't feel like love to me." His hands clenched on the bed. "And I love _you_, Ginny, but I don't know how much longer I can hold out now."

Confusion appeared on Ginny's face. "Hold out? For what?"

"The insanity, Ginny. Each time it gets harder and harder to come back. Just not being in your presence makes me go berserk within minutes. Sooner or later, I won't be able to regain myself. When that happens, I want you to kill me."

She seized him roughly by the shoulders. "What?! No! Never! We've lost too much already to give up now, Harry!"

"I know," Harry said miserably. "But what else is there to do? I thought killing Voldemort might free me, but obviously not."

"We'll find someone who can help you, Harry. I know we will," Ginny said with conviction.

"Yeah…" said Harry. _I'm not sure there's anyone, or anything, who _can_ do something about it now. Albus… Slughorn… all the greatest wizards of _our_ time, and the times before us are dead._

"So what happened after you and I were separated? I was just held captive till I managed to snatch a wand off one of the guards. By the time I finished and got to you, it was already over," Ginny said.

Harry grimaced. "Well, as you can guess, after you were captured, I lost it. I tried to follow your trail but there were just too many enemies in the way, so I lost you." He sighed. "Then Voldemort decided to show once and for all who was the stronger between us; after making me fight through his legions of Death Eaters first, of course. Not that that was much of a problem for me, in that state." Raising his hands to his eyes, his stare seemed to bore through them, right into the floor. "Eventually, I got to him. He had no Horcruxes left, no Death Eaters, just me and him. He put up a hell of a fight, but eventually I managed to cripple him with a Cutter, and followed it up with a series of Exploding Curses."

"… and that's why you were surrounded by flames when I found you."

Harry nodded. "We should get dressed," he said. "We should find out if there are any of our old acquaintances still alive."

"Where should we start?" Ginny asked as she stood up from the bed.

"Where else but where it all began? Hogwarts."

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The two of them trudged slowly up the trail to the ancient castle. They could have simply Apparated into the castle itself, these days, due to the broken enchantments, but instead appeared in Hogsmeade, out of habit. The village was a burned out husk, a ghost town. Not surprising given that ninety percent of the Wizarding population of Great Britain was either wiped out or in hiding. Harry and Ginny had looked around sadly at the Three Broomsticks and all the other shops in the area, before moving on.

As they approached the ruined doors, Ginny asked the obvious question. "What do you expect to find here, Harry?"

"An old friend," he replied simply. "And if we find some other friends, well, that's just a bonus."

She noticed that they were heading towards the Headmaster's office. But why? Hogwarts had been destroyed by the Death Eaters years ago.

As they reached the gargoyle that still guarded the stairs, chipped and broken as it was, Harry pulled out his wand.

"Stand back," he said. "I'm not sure how many of the old protective spells are still in effect, so I'm going to use full power."

Ginny nodded and backed around a nearby corner. Turning back, satisfied, he raised the wand in his left hand, and screamed, "REDUCTO!" A brilliant ray of pure red light slammed into the gargoyle with tremendous force, shattering it. Suddenly, lightning danced in the air where the gargoyle once stood, and the ground cracked. Shrapnel flew everywhere from the force of the blast, reflecting off the shield Harry had erected just in case.

"Harry, are you _mad_?_"_ Ginny asked. "Did you know that was going to happen?"

"Not that specifically, no. I expected _some_ of the original charms and curses to still be active; after all, they stood for a thousand years, why would they give out now?" He waved his wand in a complicated pattern, checking for magical residue. "It seems that that blast succeeded in tearing down all the remaining protections. Let's go," Harry said.

They quickly ascended the stairs and entered the surprisingly undamaged Headmaster's office. As soon as they entered, voices assailed them from all sides.

"Did you do it?"

"What happened?"

"What's going on?"

"SILENCE!" roared a familiar voice. Its tone softened. "Hello, Harry, Ginny. I take it Voldemort has been destroyed then?"

"Yes sir," Harry said to the portrait of Albus Dumbledore. "He's gone. But unfortunately so are all our friends, and most of the Wizarding population of Great Britain." He waved the wand that was still in his hand, summoning and repairing two chairs in one motion. They sat, looking directly at the late headmaster all the while.

"I… I don't know what to do now sir. He's gone, and the madness is getting harder to control. Soon I won't be able to return, and I won't let Ginny be hurt by anything, let alone me." Ginny put her hand on his shoulder, giving it a tight squeeze.

"I see," said Dumbledore. "Have you attempted to locate someone who can help you?"

"Yes," Harry said simply. "Anyone who could is either dead, or missing in action, which essentially means the same thing these days.

The headmasters face was troubled. "Well, that I can only think of one thing that might help you. Magically removing insanity from a human being has been tried before, and the results… were not very pleasant," he said.

"What is that one thing then, sir…?" Harry said hesitantly, adding the "sir" out of pure habit.

"The Tribunal of Fate," Dumbledore said. "It is a magical test of character, power, and strength."

"How does it work?" Ginny asked.

"First, a ceremony must be performed, then, you must pass the trials. If you succeed, you are granted one wish." Dumbledore said.

"Could we wish our friends back?" Harry asked.

"I… do not know, Harry. The powers of the Tribunal of Fate have never been tested."

"Why not?" Ginny asked.

"Because, my dear Ginny, no one before has passed the trials." The portrait turned to Harry. "I think it would be wise to simply wish for a way to deal with your problem, Harry. Testing an untested power can be dangerous."

Harry paused, considering. "Where can we find instructions for the ceremony?" he asked, his mind made up.

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"This ritual potion is really complicated," Ginny commented. "Three hundred and fifteen different ingredients, three different blessings, and a strange maturation cycle."

"I'm just glad it's almost done," Harry said. He had grown very weak and was constantly haggard throughout the last four months. The strain of fighting off the madness was taking its toll. "Tomorrow, we attempt the summoning of the Tribunal."

She kissed him on the cheek gently. "I'm sure we'll be fine." She said reassuringly.

"Yeah," Harry said without conviction. He'd seen too many people who said they'd be "fine" dead and buried to take such a claim without mountainous piles of salt.

The next day, after having rested as best he could these days, Harry led Ginny to the place were they had assembled all the components of the ritual, a deserted clearing in west England. A pentagram was drawn in wizard's sand, a marvelous but extremely rare commodity, which amplified any magic performed atop its pure white grains. Formerly extraordinarily expensive, wizard's sand had been easy for them to come by. After all, Knockturn Alley was deserted these days, and who would miss a barrel full of apparently ordinary sand? Certainly not the motley bunch of bandits who roamed those streets now, as they were barely more than rats.

The other components of the ritual were harder to procure, such as a strange potion requiring very powerful and hard to find ingredients, as well as a month of maturation before the final ingredient could be added – the blood of the user or users. Yesterday they added their blood to the potion. Today would "decide their fate", as it were.

"Are you ready?" Harry asked Ginny.

"No, but let's do it anyway," she replied. Harry nodded, and he raised a cupful of the potion they'd worked so hard to brew. Slowly, he poured it in a pattern roughly along the lines of the pentagram. After that was complete, he began to recite the words that were necessary to finish the ritual.

"_Oh, judgment most divine, we call you to this earth_

_Powers untold, we wish your aid_

_We seek your eyes, so we may prove our worth_

_Now rise up and let us show you, that we are not afraid!"_

Nothing happened. The two looked around, disappointment setting in, but before they could give in to despair, the potion-soaked pentagram on which they stood suddenly glowed with a brilliant green, bathing the trees around the clearing in an eerie light.

A black _something _began rising from the center of the star, and the two backed off the sand, allowing it room to grow.

The something proved to be a set of three chairs, thrones really, occupied by seemingly ordinary men. The one on the left was tall with a long blonde beard, the one on the right was short, black haired and clean shaven, and the one between them was of a medium height, and possessed a light brown goatee. They gazed on Harry and Ginny with disdain.

"Why have you called forth the Tribunal?" they asked in unison.

Ginny answered before Harry could, deciding to be blunt. "We wish to attempt your tests, so that we may be granted one wish."

"Very well. Which of you will be competing? Only one can do so," the Tribunal said.

This time, Harry stepped forward more quickly. "I will," he said.

"Do you understand that your life and hers will be forfeit if you fail?"

Ginny jerked in surprise. Albus had mentioned there being consequences for failing, but death?

Harry hesitated slightly, glancing at Ginny, who just nodded. "Yes," he said simply.

"Very well. There will be 3 trials. Pass them all, and if it is within our power, your wish shall be granted," intoned the three judges. Harry vanished in a flash of light.

"Harry!" Ginny shouted. She turned to the Tribunal. "Where is he?" she demanded.

Rather than respond, the blond judge waved his hand, conjuring a mirror from nowhere. With another wave, Harry's image appeared.

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_Ginny was gone!_ Harry thought in a panic. He immediately felt the madness stir. This wasn't good. If he remained separated for much longer he'd lose himself.

"This is the Trial of Courage. Hesitate even for a second, and you will die," the Tribunal's voices boomed.

Harry glanced around. He was in a narrow corridor, the walls simple stone, with no decoration but the torches that lit the way. He stepped forward.

Suddenly, the stones opened all around him, revealing deadly traps.

Harry moved as fast as he could, all the while gingerly avoiding the traps. A grumble sounded behind him, and he chanced a quick glance back. The wall behind him had suddenly grown three foot metal spikes, and was advancing on him quickly.

"Shit!" he shouted, no longer able to move carefully, and having no choice but to run at full speed.

Spears and other bladed weapons fired from all directions, pitfalls opened up on the floor, and spinning blades swung out into the corridor. Harry dodged them all. He twisted and turned around the weapons, jumped over the pitfalls, and sped past the blades. Ten feet from the end of the hall, however, Harry slipped. He lost his footing, sliding on the smooth stone of the floor, as a spinning whirl of death whipped back at him. Standing quickly, he leapt as high as he could, attempting to clear himself from the path of the blade. He made it, but was cut badly along his inner calf. The wound bled profusely, quickly soaking through the Muggle jeans that he wore. Landing hard, he winced at moving the injured limb, but forced himself to move quickly once again.

Finally, he made it, the spikes that had chased him locking into place at the end of the hallway. Panting, he looked around. He was in a strange room, filled almost entirely with an unusual construction. He moved closer, limping slightly. Examining the thing more closely, it seemed to be some sort of puzzle, with three levers that obviously controlled the mechanism.

"The Trial of the Mind," the Tribunal's voices boomed suddenly. "You have three minutes to unravel this puzzle, and open the door to the third and final test. Be warned, only one of the levers will open the portal. The other two release a deadly poison into the air."

Harry examined the machine again. It was useless. All the working parts were concealed by a metal casing. Raising his wand, he muttered, "_Reducto._" As he'd thought, the spell crackled against an invisible shield that was protecting the machine. "Great," Harry said. "There has to be some sort of clue as to which lever is the right one." He glanced around. There, on the door was an inscription.

_I am heart of all things. Find me, and you will find yourself._

"I am the heart of all things…" Harry murmured. "_Heart._ Does that mean the _center,_ the middle lever? Is it that simple? But what does the second phrase mean?"

Harry eyed the center lever carefully.

"The center… find yourself?" Harry mused. "It's got to be it. The second phrase was just there to throw me off." Steeling himself, Harry grabbed the center lever, and pulled.

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Ginny's heart had nearly stopped several times already. When Harry fell, and took that wound to his leg, she been paralyzed with fear, and now, as he contemplated the puzzle in the Tribunal's so-called "Trial of the Mind", Ginny felt compelled to speak to the strange beings.

"What happens if he fails to solve the puzzle within three minutes?" she asked, afraid of the answer.

"It will be exactly as if he had pulled the wrong lever. The room will be filled with a lethal poison, and he will die," the three said in unison.

"How can you be so casual, talking about his death like that?" she shouted, tears filling her eyes. She had always felt compelled to not cry in front of Harry. He had enough problems on his plate as it was. Now, however, it was too much. She'd held it in for too long, and her mind had reached the breaking point.

"Human affairs are not our concern," the three spoke. "We involve ourselves only to fulfill our ancient and sacred duty. You called, we answered, and you will both have to deal with the consequences."

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Harry yanked the middle lever towards himself, praying that he'd guessed correctly. He heard a hiss, and cursed, thinking he'd failed. However, the door creaked slowly open, and he passed through, immensely glad that he had been right. Harry's leg still throbbed in time with his heartbeat. _I've got to tie this off,_he realized. _If I don't, I'm going to lose too much blood. _He bent, tearing off a large strip of his shirt to make a jury-rigged bandage. _That'll do for now. But I have to end this quickly. The madness is getting closer,_ he thought, rubbing at his head with his fists.

He strode to the end of this new corridor, glad that it did not mimic the first, but at the same time dreading what came next. He pushed open the great wooden doors that stood in his way. His mouth widened slightly in amazement. Before him was a great stadium, with a life-size statue of an ogre at the exact center.

Suddenly, he felt his wand's familiar weight leave his hand. "What the- ?!" He shouted.

"This is the Trial of Strength," spoke the Tribunal. "You will prove your strength as a warrior; without magic."

Harry stared in horror as the stone ogre came to life, its great stone blade flashing around it as it took a few practice swings. At the same time, he felt a new, far heavier weight appear in his hand. Glancing down, he found himself holding a broadsword, made of steel, and razor sharp.

The ogre charged, and Harry was surprised by its speed. He barely dodged, amazed how it moved despite its size.

Sprinting to the other side of the room, behind the meager cover of a pillar, Harry was somewhat desperate. _How am I supposed to kill a ten-foot Ogre with nothing but a sword? _ The Ogre swung it's huge sword, smashing through the pillar easily, forcing Harry to leap down and to the side to avoid being crushed. Scrambling to his feet, he ran for distance again.

_Its legs. That's the only weak point I can think of. I don't know if I'll be able to do any damage, but if I can get it down to the ground, I can try and blind it. _Resolved, Harry raised his sword. As it came at him again, instead of dodging his opponent's weapon like before, he dashed forward as best he could on his injured leg. Sliding underneath the stone being, he struck out with his broadsword, leaving a long scar on the back of its leg. The creature roared with pain. Rising to his feet, Harry struck again, at the other leg, with similar results. Its tendons cut, the Ogre fell to its knees. Harry attempted to get closer, and strike a more decisive blow, but a swipe from the creature's claws sliced across his chest in a spray of red blood. Sensing weakness, the Ogre raised it's sword above its head. Its sword flashed down towards Harry.

The blade never made it. With a resounding clang that echoed off the stone walls, Harry's sword intercepted the Ogre's, barely stopping it a centimeter from his face. Displaying remarkable strength that he had not had previously, he gave a great shove, and forced the Ogre's stone sword away from him, and he stood.

"GRAAAAAAH!" roared Harry, his eyes now shining crimson red, eerily reminiscent of the eyes of Lord Voldemort.

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"What magic is this?" asked the Tribunal, all six of their eyes focusing on Ginny for the first time.

"It's Harry's magic gone berserk. Ever since he lost our closest friends, one of whom was my brother, he's been like this. He can't stay away from me for too long or he loses his sanity to the magic. It forces him to fight, fight harder that his body can really handle. His physical strength, speed, and his magical power are all increased," Ginny explained, trying to keep the explanation as short as possible.

"We see. Then it is impossible to separate him from this magic, as he is a slave to it. We understand," intoned the Tribunal. "In this state, he is quite the effective warrior."

Indeed, from the view in the mirror, Harry was tearing the formerly mighty Ogre to pieces. It was already missing one of its arms, and the other was only hanging on by a thread.

_Please, Harry. Come back this time. Don't give in,_ Ginny pleaded.

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"RAAAAAAAH!" Harry screamed again, swinging his sword with all his might, and finally killing the Dark beast, severing its head from its neck. The head flew, bounced once, and then hit the ground with the crack of breaking rock. The creature had already turned back into stone.

His magic still raging uncontrollably, Harry swung his sword again, shattering the Ogre's remaining arm.

Just then, a white glow surrounded him and whisked him away.

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He reappeared in the original clearing, with Ginny. She immediately grabbed his hand.

"Calm down, Harry," she said. "Calm _down._" She repeated in a more commanding voice.

"Ginny…" Harry's voice said weakly. Ginny smiled. _Thank Merlin, _she thought.

"You have proven yourself worthy, wizard. We return to you your wand, and we shall grant you the one wish that was promised, as long as it is within our power to grant."

Ginny opened her mouth to speak, but Harry raised a hand and cut her off. "Can you bring everyone back? All our friends, their families?" he asked quickly.

The Tribunal glanced at each other. "No," they intoned. "We are afraid that life and death are outside our power. However… we _can_ make it so _you_ can make sure they stay alive. A second chance, if you will."

"What do you mean," Ginny asked suspiciously.

"We can send you back through time, to the moment of your choosing," they said. "You will, unfortunately, have to merge with your younger selves, and become one being. You shall retain all of your memories, but any physical attributes you may have, be it amount of magical power, or just strength, will be as they were when you were younger."

"Let's do it, Ginny. It's a chance to save _everyone!_ We'll never get a chance like this again," he said, turning to her.

"Harry, even if everything works out as planned, and we return to the past, how will you deal with the madness? You can't be near me at all times if we go back to Hogwarts, and that's exactly how far back we'll have to go if you really want to save _everyone,_" Ginny said. "It's a better idea just to wish away your problem, and then we can find a quiet place to settle down and rebuild."

"Rebuild? Rebuild what, Ginny? Everything we knew is _gone._ Your family, our friends. They're all _dead_. Most of the Wizarding buildings have been razed to the ground. The Muggles are running scared. It's only a matter of time until the rest of the world finds what's left of us and sends in soldiers to destroy that too!"

Ginny was quiet for a several minutes. "Alright, we'll do it," she said softly. "We should only go back to your second year. That way, I'll at least be _in _Hogwarts in case something happens."

Harry nodded. "Nothing too bad happened in my first year anyway. Apart from Quirrell dying, anyway." He scowled. "Not that he was much of a loss, being a container for Voldemort and all."

"We've decided," Harry said, turning to the Tribunal. "Send us back to my second year, when we're getting on the train at King's Cross."

"Very well. So it was chosen, and that is your Fate. Fare well, young ones," said the Tribunal. The three of them rose to their feet, and swept their hands before them, sending sparks of light flying everywhere. Harry and Ginny looked around, nervous. He grabbed at her hand, and squeezed tight. The light surrounded them… and everything was gone…

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"I don't understand why the gateway's sealed itself- " said a familiar voice. "Harry? You okay?" (1)

"Ron?" Harry said, holding his head.

"Yeah, what is it? Do you have some idea of how to get through this barrier?" the redheaded, freckled Weasley asked.

_It _is_ Ron! He's alive! _Harry thought joyously. He looked around himself, recognizing the station that he'd most recently seen lying in ruins, the tracks twisted and scorched from the power of the curses used in the battle of King's Cross.

_I remember this. _Harry realized. _Dobby sealed the barrier to try and prevent me from reaching Hogwarts!_ He studied the still solid barrier quickly, examining the flows of magic. _Aha! _He thought triumphantly. He drew his wand surreptitiously, making a small, complicated motion with it, and muttered "_Effligo Signum_." The barrier shimmered slightly. Harry glanced around. No one had noticed.

"Let's go," he said to Ron, stepping through the now unsealed barrier. Steam was pouring out of the stack of the Hogwarts Express. They sprinted towards the train.

"WAAAIT!" shouted Ron.

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"So you were late because the barrier sealed itself for no apparent reason?" Hermione asked, obviously skeptical.

"Yeah, and then Harry looked at it for a minute, and made it open with his wand!" said Ron, who had just settled down after the mad dash to catch the train.

"Harry! You're not supposed to do magic outside of school!" chided Hermione.

"Relax," Harry said. "With all the magic around here, the chance of the Ministry detecting the magic is almost nonexistent. Besides, we're heading back to school. I doubt we'd be penalized too heavily." Hermione relaxed somewhat.

"Still, you shouldn't go breaking rules like that!" she said.

_God how I missed these two,_ Harry thought. "I know, Hermione," said Harry calmly. "It was an emergency, and it probably won't happen again." He stood up from where he had taken a seat near the window. "I'm going to the loo." He opened the sliding door to the compartment, and shut it behind him.

_I've got to find Ginny,_ Harry thought. _Before the madness-_

He stopped in his tracks, nearly knocking over another student passing through. _I don't feel it!_ He realized. Ever since it's emergence with the death of Ron, madness had always been right beneath the surface, lurking. _I can always feel it, _Harry thought. _What's going on?_ His desire to find Ginny intensified, and he resumed walking, faster than before.

He finally found her in the rear of the train, chatting with the twins- something to do with classes. After a moment, they noticed him.

"Harry, mate!" the twins said. Ginny hung back, looking nervous to be around him, like she had in years long past, even down to the nearly ever-present blush.

Harry's stomach dropped. _Oh no. What if Ginny didn't come back?_

**AN:** Cliffhanger, Haha! Well, I'm giving this author thing another shot now that I've got a bit of free time. Yes, it's a time travel fic. Cliché, I know. But I've read so many of them that I just felt _compelled_ to write my own. You know the drill. Read, review. Point out mistakes, unbelievable OOC-ness, the like. I'll do my best to write them better from then on. Also, if anyone has a better idea for that "chant" used in the ceremony; please, review or PM me, I know it's horrible. I can't rhyme or write poetry worth my life. All credit will be given!

**Disclaimer:** The above is a work of fiction that was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit is being made. The characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and her associates.

(1) Ron's first line is directly from the book "Chamber of Secrets." Credit to J.K. Rowling.


	2. Chapter 2 Fitting In

**EDIT:** Thanks to Zerri for catching a rather glaring mistake.

Tabula Rasa

_Chapter 2: Fitting In_

"Fred, George. Mind if I talk to Ginny alone for a bit?" asked Harry.

The two glanced at each other, then at Ginny. They grinned slightly, obviously assuming that he was intending something that he was not.

"Sure, Harry," they moved to leave, but Fred leaned in close and whispered, "Be nice to her, okay?" And with that, they moved on.

"Ginny," Harry started, then hesitated.

"Harry… they're all back!" Ginny said, tears of happiness filling her eyes. She flung herself forward and trapped him in a tight hug. After a moment, his mind filled with relief, Harry hugged her back.

"Ginny," Harry began again. He looked around. No one was watching, nor were any close enough to hear. "It's gone."

"What's gone?" Ginny asked, looking confused.

"The madness! I could always feel it, like an itch that I couldn't scratch. But now I feel, well, normal!" Harry said. "As normal as I ever have been, anyway…" he amended.

Her smile couldn't have been any wider, and she hugged him again. "That's wonderful!" she exclaimed. "Why, do you think? I always thought it was because of the stress of losing so many people at once, and because your magic was so powerful, it just well, you know. Expressed your real desires."

Harry slumped, a bit ashamed of himself. "That's probably accurate," he said quietly. "Maybe… the first person I met when I came back was Ron himself. Maybe it all just… fell away."

"Well, I'm not going to question it too much," she said. "I'm just going to be thankful for it."

Harry smiled. "Yeah… we can figure things out later. Let's just enjoy ourselves tonight," he said. "Just remember to try and act like you used to. I know it's hard. I've already made myself look a lot cleverer by bypassing Dobby's barrier on the platform." He shook his head. "Just don't act _too _unnaturally. We can start acting more and more like ourselves as time goes on, let our friends be introduced to the real us gradually, so it doesn't scream 'imposter!'"

She nodded. "That would definitely be bad," she said.

"I should be getting back to Ron and Hermione," he said. "I told them I was going to the bathroom."

"Okay," Ginny said reluctantly. "I'll go with you then. You can just say you ran into me on your way back."

They had not made it more than halfway back, however, when they heard a familiar sneering voice say, "Poor little firstie! You need your Mummy?" Draco Malfoy laughed. "Oh, that's right, she's dead!"

Harry's hand clenched in anger, and he stepped forward quickly. There he was, in all his traitorous glory, the Malfoy heir himself. He was surrounded by his usual troupe— Crabbe, Goyle, Parkinson and Bulstrode.

"Sinking even lower I see, Malfoy," Harry said angrily. "Picking on a first year, shows how brave you lot are." He looked to the poor girl they were tormenting and got a shock. It was none other than a younger Luna Lovegood. His anger deepened. Though he was not as close to Luna as he was to Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, she was still a very good friend. He pulled his wand out, Ginny following suit. "I suggest you leave now," he said dangerously, fully ready to lead off with some truly lethal curses. Gone the madness might be, but nearly seven years of nothing but fighting and death changed a person.

"What are you going to do about it, Potter?" jeered Malfoy. "You're outnumbered here."

"Quality over quantity," Harry snarled, slashing his wand through the air, a cutting curse slicing a groove in the floor right next to Malfoy's feet. Harry would rather have set an example by causing a small cut on the wannabe Death Eater's face, but then his wand would be checked, and he would be given at least a detention, if not worse, for attacking a fellow student with a potentially deadly curse.

Malfoy's eyes were wide at Harry's willingness to use such a spell, and was obviously surprised at how easily he'd cast it. "Let's go," he muttered to his group. They left quickly, shuffling towards the front of the train. Harry and Ginny slid their wands away. They moved to the blonde girl on the floor.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked, offering her a hand up.

"I imagine I'll be fine," Luna said airily, tear tracks still on her face. She took his hand and he helped her to her feet.

Harry pulled out a handkerchief he'd had in his pocket and handed it to the girl. "Here," he said. "You want to sit with us?"

"I don't want to be a bother," said Luna, dabbing at her face.

"You won't be, trust me. Just come with us," said Harry, starting to walk towards Ron and Hermione's compartment again. Reaching his destination, Harry slid open the door and walked in. "I've got a couple more friends to sit with us," he said.

"Who?" Hermione asked curiously.

Luna and Ginny walked in at that moment, answering her question. "Hello everyone," Luna said uncertainly.

"Hello, I'm Hermione," Hermione said kindly.

"'Lo," Ron said with a wave.

Harry leaned close to Ron and whispered, "Malfoy and his goons were picking on her. I threatened them till they backed off." The redhead nodded, but was obviously surprised at Harry's actions.

Luna looked over at Ron. "Oh, I know you," she said. "You're that boy Ronald who used to come with Ginny to my house sometimes."

"Oh yeah, you're Luna Lovegood right?" Ron said, remembering her suddenly. "Mum would sometimes have us go over to your house if nobody was home to watch me and Ginny."

And with the introductions done the five of them lapsed awkwardly into idle conversation, though it quickly got easier.

"Hey, did the trolley come by yet?" Harry asked suddenly, realizing just now how hungry he was. Not surprising. After all, the last time he _remembered _eating anything was a simple breakfast of eggs and toast just before attempting the Trials. His _body_ probably hadn't had anything since morning, at the Burrow, as he recalled that he had spent the some of the summer after his first year .

"Yeah, sorry mate. We didn't think to get much, so it's all gone," Ron said apologetically.

"Oh well," Harry said regretfully. He glanced out the window. The terrain outside looked vaguely familiar. "Looks like we're getting close anyway," he said. "We should probably change." Ten minutes later, after dividing off to separate bathrooms to change their clothes, they returned to the compartment, only to notice the train was pulling into Hogmeade station.

Harry blinked. _Has it really been that long since we left King's Cross? It only felt like an hour or so, seeing them alive again. _

As they exited the train, Harry and Ginny heard another voice they thought they'd never hear again.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over this way!" Called Hagrid.

"Hey Hagrid!" Harry said, his stomach clenching as he saw his long dead friend again.

"Harry! Good teh see yeh again!" said Hagrid. "I'll see yeh at th' feast." The half-giant strode off, shepherding the first years to the small boats that would carry them to the castle for the first time.

"See you soon," Harry said to Ginny as she walked toward the other first years with Luna and a small blonde boy who carried what looked like an old Muggle camera around his neck. Harry and the other second years climbed into the carriages that would take them to the castle, the thestrals that pulled them snorting softly, unheard by anyone but Harry and Luna.

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" Harry said suddenly.

Everyone looked at him, but he was looking at Luna. "You can see them, right? The winged horses pulling the carriages."

"Yes," Luna said, surprised. "They're amazing creatures. Why? Can no one else see them?"

Hermione and Ron shook their heads.

"Do you know what they are?" Luna asked, her blue eyes curious.

Harry looked out the carriage's window, gazing at them. "Yes," he said finally, raising his hand and pressing it against the glass. "They're thestrals."

"They're what?" Hermione asked curiously, as Ron gasped.

"You can only see thestrals if you've seen death," Harry answered quietly.

"D-death?" Hermione asked nervously.

"Yes. You need to see someone die," Harry said, still facing the window, not wanting the others to see his sad expression.

That sobered the entire contingent for a time, long enough for the carriages to complete their journey.

They exited the carriages and walked through the great portal that was the Hogwarts front entrance, arriving in the Great Hall soon after. The Gryffindors greeted anyone they had not met on the train as they waited for the Sorting to start.

Suddenly, Harry felt a sharp mental spike shatter against his Occluded mind. He looked up for the source of the attack, unthinkingly. Snape's eyes were widened slightly with surprise.

Remembering himself, Harry realized that he shouldn't have reacted as he had, and quickly looked down again. _Shit! I shouldn't have looked directly at him. Now he knows I know about what he just did._ Harry cringed. This was going to cause problems later, he was sure. _I doubt that that was the first time the greasy bastard has attempted to penetrate my mind._

Hermione's concerned voice broke his reverie. "Are you alright, Harry?" she asked.

He forced himself to smile slightly. "Yeah, Hermione, I'm fine," he lied reassuringly. Finally, the first years appeared, looking around in wonder at the many amazing things in the Great Hall, like the ceiling, and the floating candles. McGonagall led them to where the Sorting Hat lay on its traditional stool.

_This should be good, _Harry thought. _Never did get to hear this song first time around. Me and Ron were too busy flying a car into a tree._

With no further ado, the hat broke out into song.

_As a new year starts._

_The Hall is filled, students all._

_New and old will play their parts._

_Clever Ravenclaw, full of wit._

_They'll earn their wisdom bit by bit._

_Slytherin, brimming with desire_

_They'll spin webs, and devious plots._

_Brave Gryffindor, burning like fire,_

_They'll charge right in, heeding not danger._

_Loyal Hufflepuff, standing strong with friends,_

_They'll work hard, not fearing sweat._

_Because I am a hat, I can see your heads,_

_I'll never steer you wrong, I'll find your path._

_To which house you'll go, there are only four,_

_Do the math!_

Harry joined the rest of the students in clapping uncertainly. Maybe the Hat hadn't been particularly inspired this year… The Sorting promptly began. Most of the names passed by in a blur, until it got to one "Lovegood, Luna." Unsurprisingly, the hat quickly shouted, "RAVENCLAW!!"

_I've got to make sure that we try and be her friend earlier this time. I remember how lonely she really was until fifth year,_ Harry mused.

Once again, the names were vaguely familiar, but Harry paid no attention to any of them, only clapping when his housemates did. Finally, "Weasley, Ginny" was called. The hat had barely touched her head when it roared, "GRYFFINDOR!!" This time, Harry joined in with the clapping and cheering for real, as she made her way to the table, and sat down in the seat that Harry had saved for her, between him and Ron.

With the Sorting finally over with "Zachary, Allen", Albus Dumbledore stood in all his silver-bearded glory, and the Hall quickly quieted down.

"Now, before we dig into the most excellent feast that has been prepared for us, I have few small announcements to make. First and foremost, I'd like to welcome Professor Gilderoy Lockhart to the school as our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher!" said Professor Dumbledore. The blonde fraud of a teacher stood and took a flashy bow, his white teeth sparkling in the candlelight. Harry gave him an ugly look. _God, I hope I get the opportunity to reveal him for the useless twit that he truly is, that troll-shagging scum. _

After the charlatan sat down, Dumbledore continued. "I would also like to remind you that the list of items that are banned in Hogwarts is pinned to the door of our caretaker Mr. Filch's office. I believe that the list has now expanded to include fifty-seven new items, such as Exploding Scones and Bubbling Snares." A small number of barely audible groans were heard.

Dumbledore smiled slightly, his eyes twinkling. "Well, that's enough from me! Dig in!"

As Harry remembered, the food appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. Harry attacked his meal with a somewhat less than polite vigor. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all looked at him, Ron with amazement, Hermione with disgust, and Ginny with amusement. Two courses and dessert later, he was stuffed, and walking with the rest of the Gryffindors to the common room. Arriving at the Fat Lady, Percy Weasley, who walked at the head of the pack, simply said "Wattlebird" with no prompting, and she swung open. Most of the second years simply went to bed, including Ron and Hermione, but Ginny and Harry stayed downstairs, waiting for the common room to empty, so that they could talk.

An hour later, a yawning seventh year finally rose from his seat and left. As soon as his footsteps faded, the two rose from their positions staring at the fire and sat in chairs that were right next to each other.

"So where did you 'appear'," Harry asked, glancing at her.

"In the middle of a conversation with Fred and George," said Ginny. "I really had to work hard to make it seem like I knew what they were talking about. I'm glad you came in when you did," she chuckled. "What about you?"

"Outside the sealed barrier. You remember, this is the year that Dobby- " Harry's eyes widened suddenly. "Ginny," he said seriously.

She looked up, surprised at his tone. "What is it?" she asked.

"The diary!" he said. "_The Horcrux,_" he said in a much lower voice.

"Oh, god. I can't believe we almost forgot what we came here to do," she said. "It should be in my trunk. I'll bring it down tomorrow, and we can work out some means of destroying it without drawing a huge amount of attention."

Harry shook his head. "No, leave it where it is for now. It shouldn't be bothered while in your trunk. Just bring it down when we have a way to destroy it."

He yawned loudly. "We should get to sleep," he remarked, glancing at the clock. "These bodies aren't accustomed to sleeping only a few hours like we were in the future."

The two of them parted, Ginny giving him a parting peck on the cheek. As he slowly walked up the stairs, Harry only had one thought on his mind.

_This time, Tom, it's going to be different. Your Fate is sealed._

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The next day dawned cold and dreary, but Harry woke up in a fairly good mood, and with more energy than he could remember having in years. He was almost euphoric; he felt his blood singing from the moment he got up.

_Whoa,_ Harry thought. _It feels strange having so much… strength. _He grinned and sprang out of bed like the kid he was again, quickly showering and dressing, dashing down to breakfast. He was slightly early. Even the staff table was half empty, with only Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Sprout, and Flitwick being present. The only other Gryffindors in the Hall were Ginny and Neville Longbottom.

"Oh, morning Harry," said the round-faced boy, glancing up from his breakfast.

"Morning Neville," Harry said cheerfully. Ginny glanced up at him as he sat down across from her.

"Someone is in a good mood today," Ginny said, smiling.

"Yeah… I think I got up on the right side of the bed this morning," Harry said, grabbing a plate and loading it up. "I feel like I'm bursting with energy." Ginny's brow furrowed.

"What?" Harry asked.

"I'll tell you later," Ginny said. "It's not that important." He sent her a questioning glance, but let it drop. Neville looked at them curiously.

They continued eating their breakfast, chatting idly with each other as the Hall slowly filled itself. Ron and Hermione arrived at the same time, an hour later. They dug into their breakfast as McGonagall stood and began passing out schedules.

"Herbology first… then Transfiguration," Ron muttered. Several minutes later, the bell rang, and the second years trudged down towards the greenhouses. Beside greenhouse Three stood Lockhart, having a conversation with Professor Sprout, who did not look particularly enthusiastic. Sprout spotted the second years. "We're in Greenhouse Three today, class," she said, removing a large key from her belt, and unlocking the door of the greenhouse. The musty odor of plants wafted out. Walking in, Harry noticed around a hundred purplish-green tufts of what looked somewhat like ferns. _Oh, no,_ Harry realized. _Mandrakes. I remember this lesson._ Sure enough, they were soon working to repot the foul, baby like creatures. The three of them partnered with Neville, and between Harry, Hermione, and Neville, they soon had their portion completed.

"Very good work today, chaps!" Sprout praised. "Why don't you go wash up, you can leave early today." This left them with a good hour before they had to go to Transfiguration, which they of course wasted doing pretty much nothing, having no homework as of yet.

Later, in Transfiguration, Harry sat, once again hardly paying attention to the lecture. Finally, they were given a practical assignment, turning a beetle into a button.

_Easy,_ Harry thought. But it was not quite as easy as he thought. Harry flicked his wand carelessly, without much power at all. Or so he thought. Instead of merely Transfiguring the beetle, the entire desk on which the beetle lay seemed to fold in on itself, forming into a perfect button. _What the hell?!_ Harry thought.

"Mr. Potter?" asked Professor McGonagall's shocked voice. "What did you do?"

"I'm… not sure," Harry said honestly. "I didn't use _that_ much power."

"You must have used more than you thought, Mr. Potter. Transfiguring something that large into something so small requires a tremendous amount more power," she explained. "Assuming you were not _aiming_ at the table, I'd say that the amount you used was too much for the beetle's small form to contain, and the magic spilled over into the closest object that could hold it." McGonagall waved her wand, and restored the desk to its original form, complete with the beetle. "I must say… to use that much power so casually… I would work on your control, Mr. Potter. It seems that your magic has grown quite a bit in the last few months." She strode off, glancing back at him from time to time.

"Whoa, mate," Ron said. "How _did _you do that?"

"I dunno," Harry said. "I'm going to try again. Let's see if I can contain it to the beetle this time."

This time, Harry concentrated on his magic, carefully judging exactly how much he'd used previously, and toning it down to a fraction of that amount. This time, the beetle was successfully Transfigured into a button. Harry breathed out. _Man. Why do I have so much power? I never had this much trouble controlling it! Not even in the future, where I had much more power than I do now… or maybe… my power followed me. That would explain the excess. My power from the future must have been added to the power of my past self!_

By the end of the class, both Harry and Hermione had managed to produce a fair number of perfect coat buttons, and even Ron managed a few with a couple of tips from the two of them.

"What've we got next," Harry asked.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts this afternoon," Hermione piped up instantly. Harry noticed that she had drawn little hearts around where that class was marked on her schedule. Revolted, Harry however refrained from commenting; and from telling her just how big of a _hero_ Lockhart truly was. He had no solid proof as of yet. But Lockhart would slip up, and Harry would take full advantage of it. He knew far more about fighting Dark creatures than that fool ever would. After a break for lunch, the three of them headed down to the Defense classroom, led by Hermione. Harry dragged along in the back, not really wanting to go. He remembered this lesson all too well. Pixies are not something you tend to forget.

The three of them entered and took their seats, the rest of the class filling in around them. Finally, Lockhart entered, long navy robes swishing behind him like some sort of flag.

"Hello class! My name is Professor Lockhart, and it is my job to prepare you for the Darkest creatures and magic known to man," he said, his teeth shining.

_How does he do that? _Harry wondered. _It always looks like he's got a damn spotlight shining on those things. It must be some sort of spell… hmm, _he thought as an idea came to him. It was petty, but he was feeling somewhat vindictive. He pulled his wand out of his robes under the table. Pointing it at Lockhart, he used as little power as he could, and wordlessly cast Finite Incantatem. Suddenly, Lockhart's teeth weren't shining anymore, though they remained a dazzling white.

_Shit, _Harry thought. _He actually does take care of his teeth. I was hoping they'd be all yellow. Oh well. _Lockhart didn't notice, and neither did anyone else, apparently.

While all that was going on, Lockhart passed out what he had called "a little quiz", but was really an exercise in stroking Lockhart's ego. Not having bothered to even open Lockhart's books, he didn't know any of the answers, and honestly didn't care. Lockhart collected all the papers after about ten minutes.

"Well then," he said cheerfully, "I suppose we should get started on the lesson in earnest."

He lifted a covered cage onto his desk. "Now, don't be afraid, students," he said as he whipped off the covering. Instantly, the pixies inside started swarming against the bars in a bid for freedom.

"Cornish Pixies!" Seamus Finnigan remarked with a laugh.

"I wouldn't laugh if I was you Mr. Finnigan! These pixies can be tricky little creatures!" He paused for a moment, as if to think. Harry readied his wand.

"Let's see what you make of them!" Lockhart said, unlocking the cage, and unleashing a storm of bluish airborne bodies. They did a bit of damage and dumped an inkwell on Seamus' head, but Harry had cast an invisible shield charm around himself and those closest to them, as Lockhart attempted to cast his useless spell, and had his wand thrown out the window. As he scrambled from the room, Harry acted.

"_Arresto Maximus!" _Harry called out, raising his wand above his head. There was a flash of red light, and instantly, all the pixies remaining froze in midair, falling to the ground slowly. A swift Banishing Charm returned them all to their cage. Realizing he'd taken his little display far enough, he walked up and manually relocked it.

The whole class looked at Harry with a combination of surprise and annoyance.

Seamus voiced their irritation. "If you could do that the whole time, why didn't you?" he demanded, the ink staining his hair black in a stripe down the middle, making him look somewhat like a reverse skunk.

Harry shrugged. "I figured Lockhart would do something. Guess not. Running away certainly doesn't seem like something such an _accomplished_ Defense master would do," he said, sarcasm lacing his voice heavily.

The female portion of the class immediately turned hostile, their gazes burning holes in Harry from their sheer intensity. He shrugged again. "He might be good-looking, but that's no guarantee of his skill, you know." Nothing happened, and Harry walked out, feeling somewhat satisfied. They'd turn around soon enough. He hoped.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The next few days went as well as could be expected. Harry and Ginny stayed up well after the rest of Gryffindor had retired to discuss possible ways of destroying the diary without causing rampant destruction or drawing undue attention. In the future, all but one of the Horcruxes were destroyed with Basilisk venom, which was notoriously difficult to acquire, notably more so for someone who was not of age. Harry certainly had no desire to go down to the Chamber of Secrets, either, though he'd do it if they could find no other way by the end of term. The other way of destroying Horcruxes was not any easier, as it happened to be dragon's fire. Harry and Ron had broken into Gringott's to steal Hufflepuff's cup, and in the midst of the fighting with the Death Eaters who had appeared out of nowhere, Harry had tossed the blasted thing down the gullet of a dragon that lurked down in the depths, apparently as a theft deterrent. The magical fire that dwelled in the dragon's stomach did the rest. One conversation, in particular was very interesting, on the first day of classes, after the incident with the beetle.

"So what did you want to tell me this morning?" he'd said.

"…It's nothing important, really," she replied. "It's just that I'm feeling more… invigorated then ever before too."

"It's our magic," Harry said. Ginny looked at him with curiosity. "At least I _think_ it is. This morning I tried to turn a beetle into a button, and wound up turning the whole _desk_ into one."

She giggled at that.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," he said jokingly. "Anyway, I think our future magic was somehow carted back here with us, and it's been fused with the magic we already had here. It's like an instant power boost, which is why we feel so energized."

Though this was a good thing in the short term, Harry had kept quiet about his own reservations; the possible long-term consequences of this sudden power up.

Of course, Harry's second year could not be complete without the persistence of Colin Creevey, who was just as obsessed as he remembered. The boy's enthusiasm was not nearly as irritating as it had been the first time. After all, he'd seen the poor boy's corpse, which was a very sobering thought, one that only served to harden his resolve.

Speaking of enthusiasm, as the weekend began, Harry was shaken awake after only three hours of sleep by one Oliver Wood.

Harry snapped awake instantly, grabbing his wand from beneath his pillow, and a bright silver flash filled the room. The larger boy went flying into a wall, where he stayed, adhered by Harry's curse.

"Oh, sorry Oliver! You startled me," Harry said, mentally berating himself for his reaction. So much for acting normally. Once Oliver was down, he said, "Er, I came to wake you up for Quidditch practice."

Harry glanced out the window. It was still dark out, it couldn't be later than five in the morning. "Oliver, the sun has even risen yet! Are you daft?"

Oliver had an evil glint in his eye. "C'mon, Harry! It's part of a new training program I was working on this summer. The Cup is ours this year for sure!"

Harry sighed, rubbing his eyes. He _really _wanted to tell him to bugger off and go back to sleep, but… he hadn't played Quidditch in years. It would be nice to not have to fly under spellfire for once.

"Alright, alright, let me get my broom," Harry said resignedly. He'd have to come up and catch a nap later.

"Good man," Oliver said. "I'll remember to wake you up with a stick from across the room next time."

Harry rolled his eyes as Oliver walked out. Amazingly, no one else had woken up during the whole exchange.

_Lucky bastards, _he grumbled, grabbing his Quidditch robes and broom, leaving a note on his bed saying where he'd gone. He looked at his old Nimbus Two Thousand.

_Never thought I'd be riding _this_ broom again,_ he thought, rubbing his finger along its polished handle.

Harry was apparently the last to arrive, as everyone else was already in the changing room, looking thoroughly sleep-deprived. Half of them were literally nodding off where they sat.

"And there's Harry! What kept you?" Oliver said briskly. He wasted no time, pulling out a diagram composed of many little arrows on what was clearly a Quidditch field.

_Oh, no, _Harry thought. _I forgot about Wood's lectures! I should have just gone back to sleep._

Sighing in resignation, Harry took a seat next to Fred and Alicia Spinnet, quickly falling asleep as Oliver droned on and on.

"So," Oliver said, startling Harry awake. "Any questions?"

"I've got one," Harry said irritably, cutting off George, who had looked to be about to say something. "Why did we have to get up so ruddy early for this? You could just have easily explained this later in the day, like when everyone was awake."

Wood frowned. "Now see here. We should have won that Quidditch cup last year-"

"-and we won't win it if we're sleep deprived this year," Harry interjected. There was a general murmur of agreement from the rest of the team, and Fred and George actually chuckled.

Wood twitched, obviously somewhat annoyed. "This year, we're going to train harder than ever, and that Quidditch Cup is ours!" He grabbed his broom from where it rested next to him on the lockers. "Let's go give those new moves a try!"

Trudging reluctantly out of the locker room, the rest of the team followed Oliver to the Quidditch pitch, encountering Ron, Hermione, Ginny and surprisingly Luna as they walked into field.

"You guys still aren't done yet?" Ron asked in surprise.

"Done? We haven't even started yet," Harry grumbled, glancing at Ginny. Amusement was plain on her face. He shook his head, kicking off of the ground.

The feeling of flying filled him with euphoria, like he was stretching muscles he hadn't in years. In a way, he supposed he was. The wind roared through his hair as he accelerated to the broom's maximum speed, taking it up high, and plunging down in a steep dive, pulling up five feet from the ground.

"Harry, are you _nuts_?" Wood shouted.

"I'm not sure!" Harry shouted back. "I'll have to get back to you on that!" He was giddy, and all the sleepiness was gone. He slowed, and heard a familiar clicking noise. His attention was drawn towards the stands, where the boy Colin Creevey sat taking pictures. He shook his head again. That kid was just plain obsessed with him. It was kind of creepy, actually.

"Who's that kid, Harry," Oliver asked as Harry flew by. "He's not a Slytherin, is he?"

"Nah, he's in Gryffindor. Just ignore him," Harry replied. "Besides, why would Slytherin need a spy when they're here themselves?" he said, pointing towards the edge of the field, where seven green-robed figures were traipsing onto the field like they owned the place.

"What the bloody hell? I booked the field!" Wood shouted as he flew off towards them. "Oi! I booked the field for today!" he said as he landed. "You lot can clear off now."

"There's more than enough room for all of us," Marcus Flint said with a sneer.

"I booked the bloody field! Now clear off!" Wood shouted angrily.

"Maybe," said Flint. "But I've got this signed note here from Professor Snape-"

Wood snatched the note, reading it quickly. "…Owing to the need to train their new Seeker? You've got a new Seeker?" Wood said.

Draco Malfoy quickly came to the forefront of the other six members of the team. "That would be me," he bragged. "And look at the little donation my father has made to the team," he said, holding up his clearly brand-new broom in unison with the whole team.

"Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones?" Wood said, shocked.

"Yes," Flint said. "I believe that it puts the old Two Thousand model to shame."

"Oh look who it is," Malfoy said suddenly. "Wee Potty's friends."

Indeed, the four of them were crossing the grass, obviously curious as to the problem.

"What's going on?" Ron asked.

"Oh, nothing," Harry interjected before Malfoy could say anything. "Malfoy here was just showing us the price that Slytherin was paid to lose the next six Quidditch Cups."

Everyone looked at him in surprise. "Trust me," he said. "The day that Malfoy out flies me is the day that I eat my own head."

"That's right," Wood said. "Brooms don't mean anything if the user can't fly."

The Gryffindor team laughed uproariously. The Slytherins glared, their fun spoiled.

"At least _my _team isn't full of filthy Mudbloods!" Malfoy shouted angrily.

The reaction was instantaneous. Flint was forced to protect Malfoy from Fred and George, and Ron immediately reached for his wand, but he was beaten to the punch. There was a flash of light and a frightened yell, and Harry's Levicorpus spell yanked the blonde boy up by his ankle. He calmly strode towards him, a wordless Shield Charm effortlessly blocking Flint's punch, and making him reel back, clutching his hand.

He leaned in close to the boy's face and said, "Never say that again," his eyes blazing green. Malfoy just looked back, terrified.

Suddenly, there was a another flash and a loud bang, and a jet of green light streaked by his face, the caster's terrible aim missing Harry entirely, but hitting Ron squarely in the chest. A vision of Ron's death the first time around flew past his eyes, and before he knew it he'd hurled a powerful Banisher at the caster, and ran towards where Ron was currently lying on the ground.

"Ron! Are you alright?" Harry said quickly.

Ron twitched and sat up, his face pale, and in a strange moment of déjà vu; he puked up several large slugs. Harry suddenly felt a chill. It seemed like events were repeating themselves….

"Ugh," Harry said. "Hold still. _Finite Incantatem._" He said, pointing his wand at Ron. The redhead's color immediately returned, and he sat up more easily.

"Thanks, Harry," he said after he recovered. He looked over Harry's shoulder. The Slytherin's were clustered around their fallen teammate, who'd been thrown twenty feet by Harry's Banisher.

Harry's stood up and made his way quickly over to them.

"Ah, my arm's broken bad!" the boy shouted, clutching his right arm. Harry rolled his eyes.

"It's just a hairline fracture," he said, flicking his wand covertly and casting the only bone-mending charm he knew. "Just bring him to Madam Pomfrey, but she's probably going to tell you you're fine."

After they'd left, his friends accosted him. "Harry, after they tell Professor Snape what you did- "

"-They won't be able to do anything," Harry said. "Not without proof."

"If Bole's arm is broken then they'll have all the proof they need!" Hermione said, concerned.

"Bole's arm wasn't broken," Harry said. "I just told them that to make them get off the field. Now, can we practice?"

The others stared at him. "Well, well," George said. "Our ickle Harry is becoming quite the clever lad."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

By the time the team finished practice, it was already noon. "Let's go to Hagrid's," Harry suggested as he walked out of the locker room in his normal robes. "He hasn't been introduced to Ginny or Luna yet."

The others nodded agreement, and the five of them walked towards the gamekeeper's hut. Harry passed Ginny and tapped her elbow. She glanced up at him questioningly. "Talk… tonight," he whispered.

Suddenly, Hermione asked the question that had most likely been bothering her since the confrontation with the Slytherins.

"What does 'Mudblood' mean?" she asked quietly.

Ron answered just as quietly. "It's a very nasty word for a Muggle-born. 'Dirty blood', you see. It's just a word that people like the Malfoys have thought up to make themselves seem superior." They were silent the rest of the trip.

They arrived, and Harry knocked. The door was answered almost immediately by an annoyed looking Hagrid. His face brightened as he saw who it was.

"Oh, it's yeh lot. Thought it migh' be Lockhart again." Hagrid said.

"Lockhart?" Ron asked. "What was he doing here?"

"Trying to give me advice or summat about magical creatures, told me a few stories. If a word o' it was true, then I'm a Kneazle." Hagrid said. He glanced at Ginny and Luna.

"So why don' yeh introduce us, Harry," Hagrid said, waving them inside. "I'll make some tea."

The five entered and sat down. "This is Ginny, Ron's sister," Harry said, pointing to her. "And this is Luna Lovegood."

"Hello," the two said politely.

"Ah," Hagrid said. "I knew yer dad, Luna! Nice enough bloke. And o' course I know yer parents, Ginny."

Hagrid quickly finished the tea and placed it and a plate of rock cakes in front of them. Harry politely declined the rock cakes, despite his rumbling stomach. Hagrid glanced at them, noting the troubled look on the faces of Ron and Hermione.

"Wha's wrong?" Hagrid asked.

"It's nothing," Hermione said. "I just… found out about something I'd rather not have known."

"Malfoy called her 'Mudblood'," Harry said at Hagrid's curious look.

"He didn'," Hagrid said, shocked.

"He did," Ron confirmed. "Harry here taught him a lesson though."

"I hope yeh didn' do anythin' that could get yeh in trouble Harry," Hagrid said, concerned.

"Nothing permanent. I just knocked him down a peg," said Harry. "He can't prove anything, because if he tries, I'll tell Dumbledore _exactly_ what he said to instigate my reaction." His eyes narrowed and he turned to Hermione.

"My parents and a lot of other people _died_ fighting that kind of thinking, Hermione," he said. "People like the Malfoys are simply trapped in a different century, believing themselves superior to someone else just because of birth, or station. Don't let someone like him get you down. Just remember, you're a thousand times the person he is, magically and otherwise."

Hagrid nodded. "Tha's righ', Hermione. Don't let them get teh yeh," he said.

"Thanks, guys," Hermione said softly, somewhat reassured.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

That night, after everyone else had gone to bed, Harry and Ginny stayed up to talk.

"What'd you want to talk about, Harry," Ginny asked curiously.

"Just that it's getting harder and harder to act like I used to. I'm having trouble hiding my power, like that Banisher I used this morning. I also performed several spells that I shouldn't know yet. I'm honestly surprised that Hermione hasn't asked me about that yet," Harry said.

Ginny snorted. "That's what you wanted to talk about? I'm having the same problem you are, Harry," she said. "Why do you think I didn't scold you about it? Two days ago Professor Flitwick was absolutely amazed that I did a Shield Charm on reflex, and Professor McGonagall was surprised when I performed a Switching Spell perfectly with no incantation."

He laughed. "I wonder how much longer we're going to be able to keep it a secret?" he said. "With this many slip-ups, it won't be too much longer. And I'm still having trouble with my power. My hexes and defensive spells are all fine, but everything else I try always comes out way overpowered the first time I attempt it. I tried performing Incendio to light a candle yesterday, and I melted the whole thing!"

"I'm still having a little trouble with power too," Ginny admitted. "I'm not having nearly as much trouble as you, though. It's a good thing that our magic from the future came back, but it's also kind of a hassle."

Ginny shook her head. "If that's all, I'm going to bed, it's been a long day," she said.

"Not quite," Harry said. "I want you to bring the diary down with you tomorrow. Pass it to me sometime during the day, as covertly as possible."

"Why," Ginny asked. "Do you have an idea about how to destroy it?"

"No, but I have a better idea on where to hide it. Somewhere no one will think to look," Harry said. "The Chamber itself. I can still get in there using Parseltongue."

Ginny nodded. "Okay. See you in the morning," she said, kissing him on the cheek and heading up the stairs to the girls' dormitory.

He rubbed his cheek where she'd kissed him, brooding quietly. He loved her, even now, but it was still too dangerous to let her know. In the future, _he _was the one who was dangerous, a ticking time bomb. In this time, Voldemort was still out there, and he could use her to strike at him. No, he couldn't risk it. _It's like everything prevents us from being together again,_ he thought bitterly. _I just want this to be over with already, so I can live my life the way I want to._ He rubbed his eyes and stood. He trudged up the stairs to his four-poster bed, sitting on the edge for a while, before he rose again, and stared into the wall mirror near his trunk. His eyes were as green as ever, but right now, in this vulnerable hour, he could see his true self in those eyes. He felt _old_, despite his young body. Older than he really was, no matter which way you sliced it. He didn't feel twelve, and he certainly didn't feel twenty-five. He felt more like a hundred.

Quietly, he slipped into bed, still thinking about the future.

He quickly fell asleep, and just as quickly wished he hadn't.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Yes,"_ the voice of Voldemort's snake whispered. _"Hold you, hold you for master…"

_"Harry!" Hermione called. _

_He tore himself away from the snake, grabbing his wand, and Hermione charged into the dark bedroom._

_He grabbed her, screaming, "He's coming, we've got to get out of here, its _him!"

_Too late, as Voldemort himself crashed through the door, aiming his wand as a bald man and a little woman began to leap out the window. _

_"_Avada Kedavra!"_ he screamed, the green jet of light blazing towards the man who he knew to be the Boy Who Lived in disguise. They twisted and vanished just as the Killing Curse hit. He screamed in rage. Foiled again_…_._

_Miles away, the two reappeared in their camp._

_"We got away, Hermione," Harry gasped, his scar still burning from being so close._

_Hermione didn't respond._

_"Hermione," Harry said, his heart filling with dread as he looked down and saw his worst nightmare. Hermione's eyes were wide open and glazed with death… she had taken the Killing Curse meant for him…_

_"VOOOOLLLDEEEEMOOOOOOORRRRTTTTT!" Harry screamed as his nemesis had only moments ago, only his was a scream filled not only with rage, but also with grief. The ground cracked beneath him, the wind picked up, and his eyes burned red for just a split second, before it died down, and Harry fell atop her body, sobbing._

_He remained like that only for a moment, realizing that he had to leave. The Death Eaters would find him soon, as he had used the Dark Lord's name and activated the Taboo location spell. Harry grabbed his friends arm, still crying, and quickly twisted and vanished. He had to bury his friend… and find Ron… he needed to know that the girl he was not-so-secretly in love with… was dead._

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"VOOOOLLLLDEEEMORT!" Harry woke up screaming. It took a moment for Harry to realize where he was, _when_ he was. He sobbed for a moment, and then went to the bathroom to compose himself. Luckily, no one had heard his outburst, due to the Silencing Charm he'd placed around his bed in case Wood tried to wake him up early again. Harry washed his face and relieved himself before walking back to his bed. He glanced at the clock. It read four A.M.

He grimaced. No way was he getting back to sleep after that nightmare. Instead, he went downstairs, to the common room, where he sat in front of the dead fire.

Carefully managing his energy, he said _"Incendio!"_ and pointed his wand at the fireplace, creating a roaring fire again. He rubbed at his sleep-filled eyes. He felt like he hadn't slept at all. Restlessly, he moved all around the room for an hour, unable to get comfortable.

Finally, he decided that a little physical training was in order, to get his mind off things. As he did push-ups, he realized how weak his body was.

_I need to get in shape,_ he realized. _If I'm going to be running around at all, this is just not going to cut it._ He thought about it a moment. _In a while maybe I can involve the others, too._

Several hours later, Hermione emerged from upstairs, fully dressed. She looked at Harry, who had passed out on one of the chairs at around five-thirty without meaning to.

"Harry," she said, nudging him.

He awoke instantly. "Wah? Oh, Hermione," he said, looking at her with something like relief in his eyes.

"What are you doing down here?" she asked. "You usually don't get up until ten unless you have to."

"Couldn't sleep," Harry muttered. He looked down at himself. He was still wearing his nightclothes. "I'm going up to change, you want to go down to breakfast when I get back?"

"Sure," Hermione said. "I usually just read when I get down here until you guys get up."

He quickly changed and the two headed down to breakfast. Twenty minutes later, Ginny appeared, looking worried.

He watched her, trying to figure out what was wrong. She saw his look and gave him a glance that said, "Not here."

He nodded and tried to act normally. One by one, the others came down for breakfast, even Luna, who sat at the Gryffindor table for the most part these days. They ate, taking their time, given that there were no classes today. Many people were likely planning to head out and and enjoy the unseasonably warm weather, as it was a bright and sunny day, and strangely hot for mid-September. As they all finished their breakfast and began heading off to plan out their day, Harry and Ginny lingered as long as possible, bringing up the rear. Seeing the opportunity, Ginny whispered four words in Harry's ear that filled him with dread like he hadn't felt since he'd returned to the past.

"The Diary is gone."

**A/N:** That seemed like a good place to end it. Yeah, this is way late. RL, you know? Not to mention I didn't like the two previous incarnations of this chapter, so I ended up rewriting it, twice. (Hell, I still don't like how it turned out.) I am, once again aware that I cannot rhyme to save my life. I'm glad that this is probably the last time in this story I'll have to come up with an original Sorting Hat song. Well, hope you like it. You know the drill. R&R.

P.S. - I'm also thinking about looking for a beta. If anyone is interested, let me know and I'll get back to you.  
P.S.S. - Tell me if there's anything weird with the chapter, text-wise. There were some irregularities with the word count feature. I didn't spot anything different when I skimmed the chapter, but let me know if you see anything.

**Disclaimer:** The above is a work of fiction that was created for entertainment purposes only. No profit is being made. The characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and her associates.


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